Improvement in fog-horns



` `E. R. WHITNEY.

Fog-Horn.`

No. 219,374.l Patented Sept. 9,1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

EDWIN 3a. WHITNEY, 0E MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, AssIeNoE or ONE- EALFEis EIGHT To .EoRAcE JANsoN BEEMEE, or sAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FoG-HoRNs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 219,374, datedSeptember 9, 1879 application tiled December 26, 1878.

i and may be described, broadly, as consisting in the application ofsteam directly to the vibrating reed to produce the sound, in themechanism required for the purpose, and, further, in the peculiarconstruction of such reed.

For full comprehension, however, of the devices which may be used toaccomplish this, reference must be had to the annexed drawings, inwhich- Figure l is a view, and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, of theapparatus; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation through horn,showing arrangement of reed.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

A is a vertical boiler, of any usual and approved construction, B beingthe tire-chamber, and C the ash-pit, provided, respectively, with'feed-door b and door c. D is the water-space, and E the fire-tubes, allthese being of the ordinary type. i

F is a cylinder or drum, to which steam is admitted from the steam-spaceat the head of the boiler through supply-pipe F', provided withstop-cock f1. G is a bucket or short cylinder, with one closed end,sliding freely in the cylinder F, and having formed in one side anaperture or port, g, corresponding in size to a similar opening, f2,giving communica tion between F and the shell H', of the form shown inFig. 1, in which revolves a wheel, H, with curved buckets or vanes h. Acoiled or other suitable compression-spring, I, adjusted by a set-screw,l', keeps the bucket G in position when impinged upon by the steam.

Upon the spindle K of the wheel H, and revolvin g with it, is mounted apinion driving a train of gears arranged to retard the motion toanydesired rate of speed.

Upon the axis of the uppermost gear is secured an arc composed of two ormore pieces, L L', so arranged that the number of degrees may be variedat pleasure. `This may be done i by making the arc in two or lnorethicknesses, so as to slide past each other something like the sticks ofa fan, and with any suitable device to hold them in the postion desired5 or the arc may be divided up radially into two or more parts, openedout at will from each other, on the peripheries of all these sectionsbeing formed a groove in which slides a plate,- curved to thecorresponding are, secured to one of the sections, and retaining theothers in the position desired. This arc in its revof lution impingesupon and presses down a pivoted arm, M, secured on the end of acylinder, N, passing transversely through the base O of the fog-hornproper, O, which maybe of any suitable size and configuration.

In the cylinder N is formed a port, n., corresponding in size to a port,a, in the steamchest of the boiler, and on the opposite end of thecylinderN is secured a counterbalanceweight,`N/, serving to keep the armM in its normal position, except when acted upon by the arc.

Within the fog-horn O, where shown. in Fig. 2, or at any otherconvenient point, are placed two diaphragms, P l?, preferably flanged ontheir edges, between them being arranged edgewise a reed plate, Q, heldat either end by clamps and setscrews g, as shown in Fig. 3, or in anyother suitable way. This plate may, if desired, be grooved or slotted onits outer face, or have its edge somewhat twisted, so as to modify andincrease the sound.

The supports for the drum F and bearings for the spindle K and those ofthe different gears may be formed in any suitable standard, R, eitherseparate, 'secured to, or forming part of the boiler itself. h

The operation of the invention will be as follows The stop-cock f1 beingopened, the steam passes along the pipe F into the cylinder F, andthence through the ports g and f2 into the shell H', between theubucketsor vanes h, rotatin g the wheel H, and passing off through the sectionof the shell which is cut away.

In the cylinder F is placed the short cylinder or bucket G, fittingtherein with sufficient accuracy to prevent the passage of steam betweenthe meeting surfaces, and having its normal postion such that theaperture or port g formed therein will coincide with a similar opening,f2, in the cylinder F. The closed end of the cylinder G impin ges uponthe coiled compression-spring I, contained in the cylinder F, and havingat its other end a set-screw, I', to tighten it up, if required.

The amount of steam introduced into the wheel H and the consequent speedat which it revolves may be easily regulated by turning the set-screw Iand tightening up the spring, thus diminishing the size of thesteamport, the same result happening when an overpressure of'steampushes the bucket G forward so as to slide the port g partially past theport f2.

The revolution .of the spindle K rotates l (through thetrain of gears)the arc L, which,

coming in contact with the pivoted arm M, presses it Vdown while passingover it, and during this time brings the port n in the cylinder N incommunication with the aperture a, thus allowing the steam to pass fromthe steam-chamber of the boiler into the base O Y of the fog-horn andstrike directly against the diaphragms P and reed Q, thus causing thelatter to give out a very loud, shrill, and piercing sound the wholetime that the arm N is kept pressed down by the are L. As soon, however,as the arm is released the counterbalance Nl brings it back to itsnormal position, turning the cylinder N, and cutting off allcommunication between the steam-chamber and horn.

It will easily be seen that by varying the gearing the arc may be madeto revolve at any rate of speed desired, so as to shorten or prolong thetime during which the sound is emitted, and the proportion of thc silentinterval to the length of the sound may be varied by drawing apart thesections of which the arc is composed, and thus lengthening it, theplate L insuring a continuous curve.

The arrangement of the reed enables it to be replaced easily should itbe desired to alter the sound; but it will clearly be understood that Ido not confine myself entirely to the reed as shown, as the ordinaryvibratingv ter-balance, a cam-plate and its operative gearing, and asteam bucket or wheel, the combination being controlled by a governingdevice which regulates the amount of steam admitted to the operatingmechanism.

2. In an automatic fog horn or signal, the combination, with thesound-producing mechanism, of a cam-plate operating the same, andcomposed of sections radially divided or made in thicknesses so as toembrace a greater or less number of degrees of the circle, substantiallyas and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. In afog horn or signal, the sound-producing mechanism, consisting ofa vibrating plate secured edgewise in the slit of a diaphragm set in thehorn, substantially as herein described.

4t. The combination of the drum F with internal cylinder, G, adjustableas to position, and communicating with wheel H, all as herein set forth,and for the purposes described.

E. It. WHITNEY.

Witnesses:

Fans. HY. REYNOLDS, R. ARTHUR KELLOND.

